Simple Country Catholic: Holy Innocents and Mother Teresa

Simple Country Catholic: Holy Innocents and Mother Teresa: December 28, Catholics celebrate the Feast of the Holy Innocents.  We remember those innocent males ages 2 and under who were massacred unde...

Holy Innocents and Mother Teresa

December 28, Catholics celebrate the Feast of the Holy Innocents.  We remember those innocent males ages 2 and under who were massacred under King Herod.  Sadly, not much has changed.  We still continue to massacre Holy Innocents today through abortion. 

I came across this speech given by Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta in 1994 at the National Prayer Breakfast. She was bold enough to give this in front of President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary.

"...And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another?  How do we persuade a woman to not have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with love and we remind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts.  Jesus gave even His life to love us. So, the mother who is thinking of abortion, should be helped to love...the father is told that he does not have to take any responsibility at all for the child he has brought into the world.  The father is likely to put other women in trouble.  So abortion just leads to more abortion.  Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want.  This is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion.

"But there were those children, radiating joy, sharing the joy and peace with their mother because she had the love to give until it hurts.  And you see this is where love begins-at home in the family....From here, a sign of care for the weakest of the weak-the unborn child-must go out to the world.  If you become a burning light of justice and peace in the world, then really you will be true to what the founders of this country stood for..."

"...but to use any violence to get what they want."  Not any different then what King Herod did.

For the entire speech go here:  https://www.priestsforlife.org/library/4386-whatsoever-you-do

My heart breaks when I think of all the unwanted babies.  All the mothers who feel like they have to resort to this.  The love that is not shared.  Unplanned babies can bring the biggest blessings. Never should anyone feel like they are a burden. Our mothers chose to be burdened with love.  Some fathers don't even know they conceived a child.  Fathers are often forgotten. 

Have we evolved?

Herod killed babies, Aztecs, Gauls, Celts had child sacrifice, the Greeks left their unwanted babies out for exposure, if someone wanted the child they would take it otherwise it would die, China practiced sex selection by drowning the baby in 'baby water', in India they would throw their babies into the river, Japan practiced 'mabiki', Africans would kill babies if they thought they would bring a bad omen, twins were thought to be bad luck and if a woman died in child birth, the baby was buried alive, Nazis would either kill the pregnant mother, force an abortion, or drown the newborn babies in buckets often in front of the mother.  Have we evolved? 

At this point in history, the United States of America and many other countries will have been known in the history books to allow killing babies through legal means under the guise of 'women's rights'.  The difference now is the woman is not 'forced' but is allowed to choose. I dare to say many women feel forced and  have no choice.  Any society that cannot protect the most innocent from death, is not a free society and lacks love.  I am obligated to speak for those that cannot speak, to protect those who need protection, I am unapologetically passionate about this issue.  Injustice, exploitation, oppression of the unborn rouses my mama bear anger.




"When the Magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him."  Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt.  He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled.  Out of Egypt I called my son. When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the Magi, he became furious.  He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the Magi.  Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the Prophet: A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled since they were no more."   Matthew 2:13-18

Will you pray for the end of abortion and for the mothers to choose life?

Simple Country Catholic: The Light of Advent

Simple Country Catholic: The Light of Advent: Isaiah 2:5 “Oh house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” Romans 12:12 “Let us then cast off the works of darkne...

The Light of Advent

Isaiah 2:5 “Oh house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.”

Romans 12:12 “Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.”

Magic and Light

Advent begins.  It is a time of anticipation, waiting for the Lord.

We begin in darkness and each week light one of the 4 candles so each week our light becomes brighter.

The darkness can be our unbelief, our lukewarmness, our sins that we habitually commit, our complacency.  Advent calls us to deeper reflection on how we are called to be a light in the world. 

It is time of reflection, soul searching.  What areas in our lives need a re-adjustment?  What shortcomings do we need to acknowledge? Are we spending time with our Lord? In order to know someone more deeply, time must be spent together and saying sorry when we have wronged them.

There truly is something ‘magical’ about this time of the year.  People who don’t believe in Christ will celebrate this season because of love, sharing, family, peace on Earth, etc.  That’s good.  People’s hearts are more open to helping others and giving.  That’s good too. 

Christmas trees with lights, houses with lights, yards with lights, candles in windows, all indicate that this time is special, set apart for light in the darkness.

I believe with my entire being, the magic that is felt is the Holy Spirit trying to enter in each of us.  The sense of peace and love is our hearts flickering with a spark of the divine waiting to fill our hearts with the flame of His love and spirit.

This advent maybe reflect on how bright the light is in your life.  Call upon the Holy Spirit to enkindle the fire of His light and love in your heart.

Fruit Trees and the Spirit

We built our home 18 years ago on 5 acres. Within the first 5 years we planted 3 pear trees, 1 apple and 1 cherry tree.  Our cherry tree has always produced fruit. It's still small, we might get enough to make one pie before the worms and birds get the rest.  We also had 3 girls in 3 years and 2 of them during those first 5 years in our home. Needless to say we were busy, the fruit trees were never pruned or taken care of properly.  We occasionally got a few apples and pears but not more than 6-8 from each tree.

But this year we had a bumper crop from our pears and apple!  I have no explanation of why or how it happened.  We don't spray our trees so they are truly 'organic'.  We did nothing to fertilize and certainly did not prune.  In fact, an unusual phenomenon happened on Halloween, it snowed. I went out and picked the rest of the pears so as not to waste them in the cold.

Bosco and a Pear Tree

This random bumper crop got me thinking of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit, in human terms, has no rhyme or reason. It doesn't make sense. Just like this years crops had no reason to be so bountiful.  The Queen lyric "anyway the wind blows" comes to mind.  The Holy Spirit seeds blow where ever it wills and plants itself in the souls that are ready for planting.  .

My 'organic' apple tree.

Bountiful Fruit of the Spirit 

God's love is always bountiful and is ever ready for harvest.  If we prune our hearts properly, our fruit will be abundant.  What is the fruit that we bear?

• Charity (love)
• Joy
• Peace
• Patience
• Kindness
• Goodness
• Long-Suffering (patience under provocation, enduring quietly the attacks of others)
• Gentleness
• Faith
• Modesty
• Self-Control (Temperance) 
• Chastity 

How can we grow this fruit?

We can ask the Holy Spirit to plant a seed in our hearts, pray that this fruit grow within you, be open to what ever promptings you believe are being asked of you.  If you mindfully and specifically ask for the Holy Spirit enter into your life, you might just find, for no rhyme or reason, that you have been transformed into a new tree that has abundant fruit to share.

Come Spirit Come!

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23

(St. Jerome used the Vulgate translation (Latin) that's why Catholics traditionally have 12.)

Do you pray specifically to the Holy Spirit to produce fruit in your life?

My Letter for Christian Unity

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I'm reading a book and keep going back to these passages quoted below. There are many denominations within the Christian faith. If we are to build up the Kingdom, we must understand that through our differences we have THE most important thing in common, Jesus Christ. Rather than tearing each other down with Bible verses and differences in dogma, why don't we cooperate in unity of the Holy Spirit to bring others to what the restless heart longs for, God? IMO many don't 'go to church' or become believers because they see that we, in the family of God, can't get along. "You have to come to MY church, if you go to THAT Church, you will go to hell."...how loving and hypocritical is that? Or we just enclose ourselves within our own church walls with the like-minded believers and don't look out the windows because that's easiest. Christianity IS hard and Jesus gives us that warning. "..you will be hated by all because of My name." Luke 21:17

It's very difficult to be Christian in our times, Christians are very counter-cultural and should be "Do not love the world nor the things in the world" 1 John 2:15. The world will not give you what you need. A true Christian understands that this world is just passing, yet there is a peace, love, joy, forgiveness that the heart longs for that can be obtained in the here and now. My plea and prayer is that in our little corner of the world, we do our worship on Sunday mornings separate, but the rest of the time recognize that we are all in this together. Let's treat each other in the Christian faith with respect. A wise person once told me "Everyone believes in God but they just don't know it." Many hands make light work in helping people discover this and building up Jesus' Kingdom.

"Let's get together, love one another, tolerate and support one another and see ourselves as all parts of the great whole, the great work of God, the Church of Jesus Christ. Let's not ignore our differences or be false with any truth, we don't need "Sloopy agape" but we need true love, believing in the one Lord, the one faith, the one baptism, the one God and Father of us all. Ultimately, all true evangelism is ecumenical and all true ecumenism leads to Christian unity."

"Only when Christians are one, will the world stand in awe and finding no other explanation of this unity, proclaim that Jesus is sent from God to reconcile man to God and establish a kingdom of PEACE AND LOVE AMONG MANKIND." -"A Portion of My Spirit" Rev. Michael Scanlan, TOR

If you made it this far reading, thank you and may God's blessings be abundantly poured upon you!

Come Holy Spirit!

In Christ,

Jenny Goeppner

Simple Country Catholic: Catholics DO NOT Worship Mary, for the love of Pet...

Simple Country Catholic: Catholics DO NOT Worship Mary, for the love of Pet...: I wanted to address a myth that is still going around my neck of the woods. With the world of Google, it's pretty easy to get th...

Catholics DO NOT Worship Mary, for the love of Pete..

I wanted to address a myth that is still going around my neck of the woods. With the world of Google, it's pretty easy to get the answer if someone was honestly trying to understand, but for mythbuster sake, I'll address this one.

Nope just nope...

Nope, Catholics don't worship Mary, only God deserves our worship. But his mom is a pretty special lady. It may look like Catholics 'worship' her with our beautiful statues, flowers, prayers, but nope still nope, she is not a Goddess.

(Mythbuster #2: we don't worship statues, that would be dumb, do you worship Abraham Lincoln? There's a pretty big statue of him in DC. Before selfies, cameras, paintings, busts and statues were made to remember people. And who doesn't appreciate great art?!)

Simply put, we ask her to pray for us. Just as I would ask someone to pray for me. We believe all our friends in heaven can still pray for us (maybe they have a little more pull since they see God face to face?). And what good son doesn't listen to his mother? Mary told the servants at the wedding of Cana "Do whatever he tells you." What a good kid.

2 Maccabees 15:14 "And Oni'as spoke saying, "This is a man who loves the brethren and prays much for the people and the holy city, Jeremi'ah, the prophet of God." Guess what, Jeremi'ah was dead and he was still praying for his people. Many people won't find the book of Maccabees in their Bible because Martin Luther took it out in the 1500's. Guess what, Martin Luther had a devotion to Mary and prayed the rosary. Somewhere along the lines of Christian history this devotion was lost in many Christian churches. What a sad day when this stopped.
If you open yourself to this verse, and believe that those in heaven will pray for you, then you have just found yourself with a host of heavenly friends that are willing to help you out! Call upon Mary, the Angels and Saints to intercede on your behalf. If that feels weird, how about asking your grandmother who has passed away to pray for you?

Obscure Bible Verses

I'm reading the book of Sirach (another book not in the Protestant Bible).

These obscure verses jumped out to me today as I was reading and immediately I thought 'Mary':

Sirach 3: 2-4 "Whoever honors his father atones for sins, and preserves himself from them. When he prays, he is heard; and whoever glorifies his mother is like one who lays up treasure. Whoever honors his father will be gladdened by his own children, and when he prays he will be heard. Whoever glorifies his father will have long life, and whoever obeys the Lord will refresh his mother."

God deserves our worship, God hears our prayers, God forgives our sins but His mother said yes, was a virgin (let that sink in), was a vessel for the word made incarnate, the spouse of the holy spirit. How can we not give her any credence? She hears us, she intercedes, but only if we ask her to take our prayers to her son.

I love the saints like St. Bernadette, Children of Fatima, St. Juan Diego who had visions of Mary. Apparitions of Mary appeared to them. She is always pointing us to her son and always gives us comfort. Our Lady of Fatima tells us the serpents head has been crushed, no worries. For a list of apparitions: https://www.coraevans.com/blog/article/this-is-the-most-complete-list-of-marian-apparitions

That's my mom.

Why do I feel the need to justify Mary? BECAUSE SHE IS MY MOM! I need to have her back. Nobody better be disrespectin' my mother. As Christians, we talk about the Christian family. We have the Father and the Son, but where's the Mother?! She's here and has been here, she will help you.

I'll share a very personal story about my feelings for Mother Mary. I was going through a rough patch and in my prayers yelled at God "Why don't you just do something?!" (How many of us have gotten mad and demanding at the Father?!) I was red-faced but as soon as I turned to Mary to ask her to beg her son to help, I just cried. I felt a loving embrace. Like a child who runs up to his mom and wraps his arms around her waist and just cries. I felt her presence of love. I felt her say "it will be OK my child, I'll talk to him."

Still not convinced?

One chooses to believe what one wishes. Whether or not you think Catholics, Episcopalians (Anglicans), Orthodox and some Lutherans are all Mary idolatry worshipers, that is for you to believe, the truth is, it is not the truth. All I can say is, Mary is for everyone, she is NOT Catholic. I promise you, you don't have to convert to the Catholic faith to honor Mary, but open your mind and heart to the Blessed Mother and you will see your faith to her Son brought to a entirely different level.

Mary doesn't replace Jesus, she is always pointing us to her son.

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee, Blessed are you among women, and Blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus, Holy Mary, Mother of God, PRAY FOR US sinners, now and at the hour of your death. Amen.

What is stopping you from honoring Mary?

Simple Country Catholic: Winter and the Wild Goose

Simple Country Catholic: Winter and the Wild Goose: Embracing the Chill The older I get, the more I love winter. Last week, we were in a deep freeze with negative temps and wind chills. M...

Winter and the Wild Goose

Embracing the Chill

The older I get, the more I love winter. Last week, we were in a deep freeze with negative temps and wind chills. My children and I bundled up and headed out for a bit. I wanted them to feel what bitter cold is.  I reminded them of the homeless and of people that have to work out in all weather.  The air was 'breathtaking'. We managed 40 minutes before returning inside to hot chocolate. The next day warmed up and we spent a few hours playing in the woods. The small brook was frozen. The kids played 'hockey' with sticks and chunks of ice. My soul was happy.

Winter is a time for 

Stillness
Quiet
Deep breathing
Embracing all the elements
Slowing down
Hearing the lone goose call.

The Wild Goose

The Holy Spirit has been called the Wild Goose. The Holy Spirit speaks to me louder in the quiet, cold, silence of winter. I'm sure because my life slows down and I have time to contemplate, reflect and be quiet enough to actually listen. For I know, he is always speaking, but I don't always hear.

Sshh....listen...

A beautiful sound of winter.

If only I could have captured the call of the goose.  

A few days later, I saw a flock of geese flying north.  A tell-tell sign of spring.  Did you know that when geese fly they take turns being a leader so that no one goose has to bear the headwind long?  Also, if one goose goes down, two other geese follow him, stay with him until he dies or if he is able, then they will catch up to the flock or try to find another flock to fly with together.  They honk to encourage each other. The V is so that all can see what is front of them.  The migration route never changes, the geese do.

The Celtics call the Holy Spirit the Wild Goose because it cannot be tamed. It has a tendency to scare and surprise.  Have you ever been attacked by a goose?  My neighbor has two geese that have come at a me a few times.  I understand where the term 'getting goosed' comes from!  It is scary and hilarious at the same time.  The Holy Spirit cannot be tamed, it is frightening, but when embraced and used for its purpose it is an orchestrated beauty of encouragement, love and support.  It guides you to your destination.

May you find in the quiet, stillness of winter, the voice of the Holy Spirit to guide you on your earthly migration to heaven.

Hugging winter!

How do you embrace winter?

Psalm 51:7 "Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow."

Mary is NOT Catholic

Mary is NOT Catholic.  

She lived as a Jewish woman. What is she now?

Simply put, Mary is everyone's Mother.

But that's a hard one to understand for many or it's toooo "Catholic".

To clear up one confusion. Catholics believe Mary is not God, or a Goddess, she's a heavenly help for us.  Not just any heavenly help, but the Mother of our God help.  She prays (intercedes) for us. Just as I can ask my grandmother in heaven to pray for me, Mary does also.  We believe our loved ones, all the angels and saints still pray for us in heaven if we just ask.

When we talk the context of the family it usually involves a mother, father and child (this is not a post about the changing dynamic of the family). Many Christian denominations talk about God the Father and Jesus the son, and preach on Christians as a faith family.  Where is the Mother?  Oh, she just comes along at Christmas time.  A figurine in a nativity scene.  Some might get excited singing the song "Mary did you know?"  But when else? The beauty of Mary is that she was the ONE who was always there in every step of her Son's life. From his birth, first miracle, ministry, death and resurrection.  She was the perfect disciple.  We can learn so much from her.

The standard Mary statue every good Catholic home should have.

Resale Store Books

One of my favorite things to do is look at movies and books in resale shops.  My husband at one time came across a book called "Peace of Soul" for 10 cents at the Salvation Army.  The author is Servant of God, Fulton J. Sheen.  That's the first book of the Sheen book and DVD library we now have in our home.  We both loved him so much, we named our youngest son, Fulton, after him.

But I can't read most of his books because I'm not smart enough. I'm more of a 'practical' Catholic than a theological one.  I recently went to Goodwill and found a book called "Mother Mary Speaks to Us" by Brad and Sherry Hansen Steiger.  The book was written in 1996 and cost $2.59 (gotta love a bargain)!  Sherry is an ordained minister but doesn't tell which denomination (my point is not Catholic). I think the Blessed Mother chose this book for me to read.

The book reports on the many Marian apparitions (appearances of Mary) reported from people of all different religious and non-religious background.  The authors claim this is the "Age of Mary".  The Catholic Church only recognizes 9 Marian apparitions.  Not because others are not truly of Mary (some can be Satan trying to deceive) but because it's a heavenly phenomenon that is difficult to understand.  From what I know, if the apparition brings you closer to Mary's Son, her purpose has been complete, officially recognized or not.  We named one of our children, Bernadette, because I feel in love with of Our Lady of Lourdes, a Marian apparition.  Saint Bernadette had visions of Mary. Oh, and our oldest is Mary.

Lady Wisdom 

When I think of the Blessed Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) my head hurts.  Who can understand three persons in one God?  I know not all followers of Christ believe this, but Catholics do. I think there was a heresy about this one. As the good Saint Patrick used the shamrock to illustrate three leaves yet one leaf, that's the best way I can wrap my head around it.  After reading the Steiger's book, I had a different view on the Holy Trinity, one of the masculinity and femininity of God.  We have God the Father, the Creator, the Organizer, the 'Structuring principle of the universe'.  Jesus, the Son, the Redeemer, the Savior. Then there's the Holy Spirit.  I always viewed the Holy Spirit as the teacher.  What about the Holy Spirit as wisdom?  Throughout history, wisdom is viewed as a female. In the book of Ecclesiastes, wisdom is called a 'she'.  The Greek Goddess of Wisdom was Athena. The Greek word for wisdom is Sophia. Throughout the Old Testament wisdom is personified as a female, "Lady Wisdom".  So, could the Holy Spirit be a representation of the female of God?  Today's feminists want to call God a 'She'.  God is neither female or male but the representation of both.  What about the Holy Spirit as the feminine aspect of the Trinity?  God, the Father as the male and Jesus, the son as the child.  A family.  The Holy Trinity creates us, saves us, and gives us wisdom. Ok, my head hurts. Enough 'theology'.  Doubt if I would get the Imprimatur seal of approval on this one.

Where does that leave Mary in all this?

She is not in the Holy Trinity but she is carnate wisdom.  She has a special role in heaven and on earth. Just like the Archangel Gabriel, she's a messenger, not the message.  She's a messenger that like a good mother, provides comfort to us.  Catholics have a phrase "To Jesus through Mary". She always points us to her son.

Why has Mary appeared so much in the last century?

The best take away from the book for me was the quote "I am the balance to the male energies".  Think about it.  World War I and II, Vietnam, Korea, Russian Communism, Korean War.  Yes, we have always had wars, but not as much world wide destruction as these.  We need a Mother, a nurturer, soft touch for humanity.  Now there's a social war on the family.  50% divorce rate wreaks havoc on families and the disregard for little lives growing in the womb is not good for mankind.  She told us when she came to the children of Fatima, the last battle will be on the family.

What happens when Mary visits?

Heaven comes to Earth!
She might just have a message of encouragement, warning, prophecy and many times miraculous healings have occurred. Some natural phenomenons have happened like thousands witnessing the 'sun dancing' in Fatima. She asks us to pray (for Catholics especially the Rosary), do penance, do good, sacrifice, love. Once again, she's the messenger, not the message.

Who does she come to?

Mostly those who are open the the spiritual world and common folk. The naive, the innocent, the stupid, the sinners, the psychic, the orthodox, the mystics, the mediums, the new age, non-Christians, atheists, those with open hearts. Why Catholics more than others? Because we honor her, but we are not her only children.

What does she look like?

Mary takes on whatever race she believes you will relate to. Our Lady of Guadalupe looked like an Aztec Goddess, the black Madonna, the white Irish Lady of knock.  She almost always is in white and blue (the color of virginity). Her flower is a rose, some claim to smell roses when she appears.

Fascinating Visions and Messages

I knew the story's of the the visions from Lourdes, Fatima, Guadalupe, Medjugorje...the big ones. I knew of a woman in southern Indiana that had seen visions and heard of someone in Wisconsin.  All Catholics, but this book encouraged me in what I have been thinking all along, she's for everyone. She comes sometimes just as a presence, no words. Sometimes it's over a course of time, sometimes just once.  I want to share some messages and terms mentioned in the book that spoke to me that are not of the traditional Catholic jargon.

"Call me Woman of All People."

"We are all interconnected. She comes to lead humankind back to the God Light within, Return to love, Love Mother Earth."

Divine Mother energies are called Mary, Christhood, Christ-Conscience, are in each of us.

"The Heavenly Realms are here to assist you, not to find truth for you. You must find it. Your path is between you and God. I do not make such decisions."

"To be all that you as humans were meant to be is the one goal that should always be on your minds, and it is my task to facilitate heart centered thoughts to bring about such changes in humanity."

"Open your heart to receive-and you shall. Ask for me, and I will be with you. Even if you do not see me, you will feel me."

"I am the love of God incarnate and the God in action."

"If you look at the past 200 years of this country of United States you will see the results of the energies of the Divine Mother.  The old thought patterns are disappearing. No longer is it acceptable to believe that one person is better than another because of the color of skin.  More and more people accept the reality that there is a common goal, a common origin, and a common God for all humans."

"Love is what we ask of you."

"If there was true peace on Earth, there would be no need for the establishments. There would be no need for the controls. There would be no need, as was shared by my Son, for the requirement of 10 rules or laws or commandments. Each man would do and say and be what is best for all, for the one commandment that he offered would fulfill within all people the unity to love one another. In that loving is found respect, concern and caring. In that loving is found forgiveness. For in that loving is found the heart of God."

"Your governments, your religions will be found to be standing on ground that is not solid. You will find may things to be brought into light. You will find changes that reflect fear within the hearts of many men.  Let not your hearts be troubled. You know within your being that the Father has a purpose and a path for creation. It is not haphazard. It is not one of chance. Your soul is a part of that purpose. And in this time upon your Earth, your soul is awakening to that which it has known."

Muslims worship Mary under the name Fatima. She appeared in the village of Fatima in 1917 to 3 children. The Mother of All has been called throughout history names such as Isis, Sophia, the Lady, the Mother Diana, Athena and so on.

The native Americans view her as a grandmother creator spirit.

She is the Lady of Light.

I could quote many more passages, but the point I'm trying to make is...

Simply put, Mother Mary's love is for everyone.

This reflection of Mary has spoken to my soul. This book had come to me in a time I needed to increase my devotions to our Blessed Mother.  She is important. In our society we value the woman. We raise her as a creature who has power, control, can be anything and for all.  Our wombs are blessed. We are not men. We are the female part of God, wisdom (not saying that men are not wise).  But why are women so stressed out? We think we can do it all? Have we lost our 'wisdom'?  I believe only can be fully alive when we have the peace in our soul to know why we do it all. We are not for just us or our family, but for the good of humanity.  We can ask for the heavenly help, the Divine Assistance, the Blessed Mother to help us in our earthly pilgrimage.

Women and men, don't get so caught up in this world that you forget all the supernatural around you. Dig deep into yourselves and pull out the God light, Christhood, Grace, beauty in your soul so that this experience on Earth will be a hint of what lies in store for us in heaven.

How do you view Mary?  I know for many Catholic Converts, she's the last teaching that is hard to accept.  It took me awhile to understand and pray the rosary.  My love for Mary is not anywhere close to where it should be. I'm talking to her more intimately now, as I would my own Mom.  I share my concerns for my children, my marriage, our world with her.  I feel peace when we talk.

Do you have the divine light in you?  Make no apologies who you are, but are you really who God wants you to be? or what is safe and acceptable by society?  Is your soul troubled or at ease?

Can you break away from the stigma that Mary is only 'Catholic'?  Can you see her role in humanity? To point us to her son? To seek Lady Wisdom?

I would encourage you to read a few stories on Marian apparations.  This site is incredible.
http://www.divinemysteries.info/

Mother Mary, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.